I'm Already There
by ShelbyElizabeth
Summary: Tim is missing his wife. Written for the Original Character Songfic challenge on NFA.


A/N: Song is_ I'm Already There _by Lonestar. I claim no ownership of the song or of Tim McGee or NCIS.

_He called her on the road  
From a lonely cold hotel room  
Just to hear her say I love you one more time_

"Hello?"

Hearing her voice was almost more than he could take. All of the self-control he had was not enough to stop a lone tear from rolling down his cheek. "Hey," he choked out softly.

"Tim? Is everything alright?" she sounded concerned. Hell, she was concerned. Tim wasn't supposed to call her unless there was a serious problem.

That was the agreement that they had made. Work constantly took him to different places and put him in danger, and her heart ached whenever he was gone, but she couldn't spend all of her time worrying about him. She had children to raise and her own job to do.

"Yeah, Mel, everything's fine. I just really miss you, that's all," Tim sat down on the end of the bed with the phone.

His wife sighed on the other end of the conversation. "I miss you, too. You really had me worried. You promised that you wouldn't call unless…"

"I know. I'm sorry. I just had to hear your voice again."

_But when he heard the sound  
Of the kids laughing in the background  
He had to wipe away a tear from his eye_

He heard giggles in the background, and he figured his daughter must have a friend over and his son was still too young to do much at all.

"Mel, can I talk to Jessie?"

"Of course," she replied, and then yelled to the giggling girls in the other room, "Jessie, Daddy's on the phone!"

_A little voice came on the phone  
Said "Daddy when you coming home?"_

"Daddy, where are you? You missed my dance recital yesterday."

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry. But I promise that I will be at the next one."

Melanie could hear Tim's voice through the phone. She sat at the kitchen table with their son, Justin, on her lap, Jessie standing in front of her holding the phone. "That's what you said last time, Daddy," Jessie frowned.

Tim's heart broke a little. He knew that he missed Jessie's last two recitals, and it hurt that he couldn't be there. It hurt even more that she remembered that he hadn't been there. "I know honey, I know. How about you show me your dance when I get home?"

"Okay. But when are you coming home?"

_He said the first thing that came to his mind_

I'm already there  
Take a look around  
I'm the sunshine in your hair  
I'm the shadow on the ground  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
I'm your imaginary friend  
And I know I'm in your prayers  
Oh I'm already there

"Soon, baby. I love you. Can I talk to Mommy again?"

"I love you too, Daddy," Jessie passed the phone to Melanie.

_She got back on the phone__  
Said I really miss you darling  
Don't worry about the kids they'll be alright_

"How's Justin doing?"

"He's fine Tim. Don't worry about us right now. Just worry about getting home safely."

Tim drummed his fingers nervously on the lumpy mattress. "I will come home safely," he insisted, "It's just hard to be here, without you, and without the kids. I feel like I'm missing out on their lives."

"Oh, Tim, you have to stop feeling like that. It's going to take away from your focus," she said, getting up to take Justin to his crib. "How much longer?"

"I don't know. It could be tomorrow; it could be next week. Trust me; I miss you just as much as you miss me."

"I know," her eyes started to well up with tears.

_Wish I was in your arms  
Lying right there beside you  
But I know that I'll be in your dreams tonight  
And I'll gently kiss your lips  
Touch you with my fingertips  
So turn out the light and close your eyes_

She went into the bedroom they shared and closed the door so that only a sliver of light from the hallway shone in. She started to hum the song that Tim had hummed to her the first time he had to leave her for work.

_I'm already there  
Don't make a sound  
I'm the beat in your heart  
I'm the moonlight shining down  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
And I__'ll be there until the end  
Can you feel the love that we share  
Oh I'm already there  
_

"Mel, please don't start with that. It's hard enough to be away from you and the kids," Tim rubbed his temple with his free hand.

It killed him to be away. He'd thought about asking for a desk job, or working in the cyber crime unit, or even quitting NCIS, but he couldn't do it. He loved his job, almost as much as he loved his family.

"I'm sorry, honey. It just helps me remember that you'll be here soon enough. It keeps me calm," Melanie sighed and leaned back against the headboard on their bed, "Sometimes I sing it to Jessie before she goes to sleep. Justin too, but he's still too little to know that Daddy's gone."

"I'm not gone, I'm coming back," Tim thought to the song for inspiration on what to say. He couldn't help but quote the lines that never failed to make Melanie feel better.

_We may be a thousand miles apart  
But I'll be with you wherever you are_

Melanie started to cry. She needed to get Tim off the phone before he started to worry even more than he undoubtedly already was.

_I'm already there  
Take a look around  
I'm the sunshine in your hair  
I'm the shadow on the ground_

"Alright honey, I should go. I don't want to keep you from work and such," she managed to say in a semi-normal voice; "I love you."

_  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
And I__'ll be there until the end  
Can you feel the love that we share  
Oh I'm already there  
Oh I'm already  
There_

"I love you too, Mel. I'll see you soon. I promise."

Melanie hung up the phone. She missed Tim more than she could say, but she had to get over it for now.

She grabbed a tissue and wiped away her tears just as Jessie and her friend burst into the room. "Mommy, Mommy! Will you make us grilled cheese for dinner?"

Justin started to cry from the other room. Melanie got off the bed. "Sure sweetie, just let me check on your brother first."

She had to get over it for now, because even when he's not here, life goes on.


End file.
